"Floaters" are a later development of "jumpers"--rocket motors encased
in inertron blocks and strapped to the back in such a way that the
wearer floats, when drifting, facing slightly downward. With his motor
in operation, he moves like a diver, head foremost, controlling his
direction by twisting his body and by movements of his outstretched
arms and hands. Ballast weights locked in the front of the belt adjust
weight and lift. Some men prefer a few ounces of weight in floating,
using a slight motor thrust to overcome this. Others prefer a buoyancy
balance of a few ounces. The inadvertent dropping of weight is not a
serious matter. The motor thrust always can be used to descend. But as
an extra precaution, in case the motor should fail, for any reason,
there are built into every belt a number of detachable sections, one
more of which can be discarded to balance off any loss in weight.